Looking into the lectionary - Your worship companion for May 5

Churches, Denominations and Religions: Looking into the lectionary - Your worship compani...: May 5, 2024 Sixth Sunday of Easter John 15:9-17 When my childhood pastor’s daughter was about 8, she told her mom she wasn’t going up for th...

Prayers for Our Community, Our Nation and Our World

We can offer specific daily prayers for our community, nation and world. Between Monday, April 29 and Sunday, May 5, we'll lay before God the needs listed below.

• Monday, April 29, 2024 - That we respect and honor their parents and raise their children with compassion.
• Tuesday, April 30, 2024 - That the war in Gaza be settled as soon as possible.
• Wednesday, May 1, 2024 - That we all recognize that our actions impact others.
• Thursday, May 2, 2024 - That the world unites in care for those affected by the conflict in Ukraine.
• Friday, May 3, 2024 - That workers be paid a living wage.
• Saturday, May 4, 2024 - That youth value honesty and respect in all their relationships.
• Sunday, May 5, 2024 - That leaders put aside their pride and ambition for the good of their country.

The Sligo Presbyterian Church Celebration Service - Sunday, April 21, 2024

Sligo Presbyterian Church: Our Congregation and Community: The Sligo Presbyterian Church Celebration Service ...: Although we all know that Easter is about Jesus Christ being raised from the dead, we may not be quite as clear about the  meaning and signi...

Sunday's Sermon - Why Is the Resurrection of Jesus Important? (The Resurrection Was Physical)

Sligo Presbyterian Church: Our Congregation and Community: Sunday's Sermon - Why Is the Resurrection of Jesus...: Although we all know that Easter is about Jesus Christ being raised from the dead, we may not be quite as clear about the  meaning and signi...

WCC News: WCC prays for abducted archbishops of Aleppo

The World Council of Churches morning prayer on 22 April was focused on Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, solemnly marking the 11th anniversary of the abduction of archbishops of Aleppo. The abducted archbishops of Aleppo, bishop Boulod Yaziji and H.E. Mor Gregorious Youhanna Ibrahim. 23 April 2024 The archbishops H.E. Mor Gregorious Youhanna Ibrahim and Bishop Boulod Yaziji were abducted on their way back from the Turkish border to their city of Aleppo. For more than a decade, there have been ongoing calls for their release.  The WCC prayer asked for comfort to them and their churches.  “We pray too for the liberation of all clergy and people of faith, who are held captive all over the world, that they are freed for the glory of your name,” the people prayed. “Grant rest where the righteous repose to the souls of all who have died as martyrs of the faith.” As part of the Ecumenical Prayer Cycle, the WCC and people across the globe prayed with and for the people and churches of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. Nino Sadzaglishvili,  a student at the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey from the Georgian Orthodox Church, offered a reflection.  She explored how biblical shepherds, when caring for their flocks, were not practicing a passive form of love—but an active one. “The laying down of the soul, the crucifixion, and the resurrection are voluntary, redemptive works of the Lord, just as the creation of the whole world is a work of love!” she said. “Active love—this is what the modern world needs.” Learn more about the Ecumenical Prayer Cycle See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland

Looking into the lectionary - A prayer after Iran's strike on Israel

April 28, 2024 Fifth Sunday of Easter Acts 8:26-40 I came to faith as an adult. I had grown up going to my grandparents’ church when we visited with them, so I had some familiarity with the Bible, but not much. Through personal growth and searching, I came to believe in Jesus Christ. I found a church and joined as an adult. And I began to read the Bible by myself. I started at Genesis and read each day. Within a month, I found myself thinking, “If I have to read about one more animal sacrifice, I’m gonna lose it!” I did not understand much of what I read, and the love of Christ I had experienced in my life was hard to find in the words I read. The Bible can be very hard to read and understand, especially on one’s own. In the lectionary passage from Acts 8:26-40, we find someone who had trouble reading the Word of God, too. The story begins, as all of the stories in the book of Acts do, with the Holy Spirit. The story of Acts is the story of the Holy Spirit in the world, guiding and creating the new church. Philip, led by the Holy Spirit, has been in Samaria — offering grace and salvation to that community amid persecution. And again, through the leading of “an angel of the Lord,” Philip is now led south to Gaza. It is a deserted wilderness road, hardly where one would expect to encounter God’s purposes. But it is there that Philip encounters the Ethiopian eunuch. The Ethiopian eunuch is a man of high status in his community and the treasurer for Candace, Ethiopia’s queen. However, in terms of the people of God, the Ethiopian eunuch would have been considered marginalized. Isaiah 11:11 declares that the people of Ethiopia will be recovered one day; until then, they exist as outsiders. In addition, the man’s status as a eunuch would have meant he was partly, but not fully welcome. Deuteronomic Law barred eunuchs from entry into the Temple. The Ethiopian eunuch had been able to worship in Jerusalem, but likely couldn’t gain entrance into the Temple’s inner courts. Yet, even if the Ethiopian eunuch is an outsider, he is faithful still. Can we take a moment to marvel at that — at the faithful response of a man who was excluded? What experience of God must this man have had to be faithful under those conditions? Maybe that alone makes this a miracle story. ... Read the rest of the commentary on the website. Thank you to this week's writer Tara Bulger.  Order of worship for April 28, 2024. These liturgies are free to use. A prayer after Iran’s strike on Israel by Teri McDowell Ott The Canaanite woman’s faith (April 28, 2024) by Sheldon Sorge Meeting in wild spaces  — Weekly Christian ed lesson by Joelle Brummit-Yale Want the worship resources for April 21, 2024? You can find them here. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT... Beyond the offering plate: Diversifying your church’s fundraising strategy Laura Strauss offers three tips for churches who need help making ends meet. Embracing mysticism, near-death experiences and spiritual encounters at church People are having intense, life-transforming spiritual experiences, writes Graham Standish, but they don't feel the church is the right place to talk about them. Somehow: Thoughts on Love In "Somehow," Anne Lamott gives us reason to trust in the God whose love is the greatest of all. Breaking down barriers A lesson about Acts 8 and expanding the boundaries of community. — Sheldon Sorge Join Faith and Money Network for a free 90-minute webinar with Miguel Escobar, author of The Unjust Steward: Wealth, Poverty and the Church Today. On Wednesday, April 24, from 7:00-8:30 pm Eastern, Escobar will discuss what early Church thinkers have to say about money and generosity. Are American churches destined to become more socially conservative? With an influx of Christian immigrants from the global South coming to America, some writers forecast a more conservative American Christianity. Katherine Pater looks at statistics and Acts 8 to argue that an inclusive future is possible. Lazy sabbath: A journey through parenthood and rest "To fully live into sabbath, maybe we need to admit to being lazy in the best kind of way," writes Katrina Pekich-Bundy. TOMORROW Join us for a webinar to continue the conversation our “Small is beautiful” issue started. Tomorrow Outlook Editor/Publisher Teri McDowell Ott will convene a panel of voices from our January issue including Catherine Neelly Burton, Warren Lesane, Shavon Starling-Louis, and Philip Blackburn. This is a pay-what-you-can webinar.

Prayers for Our Community, Our Nation and Our World

We can offer specific daily prayers for our community, nation and world. Between Monday, April 22 and Sunday, April 28, we'll lay before God the needs listed below.

• Monday, April 22, 2024 - That police officers show strength and compassion when enforcing the law.
• Tuesday, April 23, 2024 - That we offer God thanks for all his blessings.
• Wednesday, April 24, 2024 - That we approach our differences with both faith and commonsense.
• Thursday, April 25, 2024 - That our leaders work for unity and cooperation.
• Friday, April 26, 2024 - That families read their Bible and attend worship services together.
• Saturday, April 27, 2024 - That our judges would value the principles reflected in the Old and New Testaments.
• Sunday, April 28, 2024 - That doctors and nurses communicate compassion and concern to their patients. 

The Sligo Presbyterian Church Celebration Service - Sunday, April 7, 2024

Sligo Presbyterian Church: Our Congregation and Community: The Sligo Presbyterian Church Celebration Service ...: Although we all know that Easter is about Jesus Christ being raised from the dead, we may not be quite as clear about the  meaning and signi...

Sunday's Sermon - Why Is the Resurrection of Jesus Important? (The Resurrection Provides Validation)

Sligo Presbyterian Church: Our Congregation and Community: Sunday's Sermon - Why Is the Resurrection of Jesus...: Although we all know that Easter is about Jesus Christ being raised from the dead, we may not be quite as clear about the  meaning and signi...

WCC News: During prayer for Ukraine, reflection asks: “Has the promised Kingdom not come yet?”

During a World Council of Churches morning prayer—focusing on the churches and people of Belarus, Moldova, Russia, and Ukraine – a reflection by Prof. Dr Dmytro Tsolin focused on both the pain of the war in Ukraine as well as how we hang onto hope. Russian military equipment destroyed during the Russian invasion of Ukraine is displayed at the Mykhailivska Square in Kyiv, Ukraine, August 2022. Photo: Ivars Kupcis/WCC 15 April 2024 Tsolin, pastor of the German Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ukraine and professor at the Department of Biblical Studies of the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv, asked the question: “Has the promised Kingdom not come yet?” He noted that we live in a world that still follows the laws of sin. “Often, we feel our depressing helplessness from the fact that we cannot fundamentally change anything,” he said. “The kingdom of Christ, which lives through faith in Christ in our hearts, only increases this pain, because we feel the contrast between sin and holiness more acutely than the rest of people.” He further noted that we acutely feel this pain now, during the war in Ukraine. “We feel pain from the daily deaths of our compatriots, from the unceasing artillery and rocket shelling of our cities and villages by the Russian army,” he said. “We cannot stop it.” He added: “We feel pain because of the brutal and reasonless aggression against our country from the side of Russia. We pray but we cannot change the cruel reality of this world.” But the Lord is acting now, said Tsolin. “He hears our prayers and answers them, although sometimes it seems to us that He is silent,” he said. “What should we do now? We invoke the name of Jesus Christ in our lives and experience the presence of His Kingdom right now, in us, among us and around us.” We see that God is still working, he concluded. “His name and His power are with us now, and we believe that the Day will come when the Kingdom of God will be revealed in all its glory.” Reflection on Acts 4:5-12 by Prof. Dr Dmytro Tsolin, the German Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ukraine See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland

Today in the Mission Yearbook - Bethesda Presbyterian Church in Gaffney, South Carolina, hosts a Black History Month concert

Witness, Share and Evangelize: Today in the Mission Yearbook - Bethesda Presbyter...: Featured were hymns interpreted by musicians with a flair for contemporary gospel and jazz April 15, 2024 From left, the Rev. Rafus Camp, pa...

Prayers for Our Community, Our Nation and Our World

We can offer specific daily prayers for our community, nation and world. Between Monday, April 15 and Sunday, April 21, we'll lay before God the needs listed below.

• Monday, April 15, 2024 - That teachers and administrators would be open to God's Word and God's will.
• Tuesday, April 16, 2024 - That those in the entertainment industry recognize any negative influences within their media creations.
• Wednesday, April 17, 2024 - That World Vision be able to address real human need around the world.
• Thursday, April 18, 2024 - That those in the media and government would report facts accurately and without any bias.
• Friday, April 19, 2024 - That young people are able to grow into their potential.
• Saturday, April 20, 2024 - That the people of Ukraine be protected.
• Sunday, April 21, 2024 - That all racial divisions be healed.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - Presbytery of San Fernando celebrates 55 new worshiping communities in 55 years

Witness, Share and Evangelize: Today in the Mission Yearbook - Presbytery of San ...: ‘The work is real,’ one NWC director says April 13, 2024 Members of Oikos 4:45, a new worshiping community whose  ministry to address food i...

Today in the Mission Yearbook - Synod of the Covenant preaching webinar invites us to join those present for the wedding at Cana

Witness, Share and Evangelize: Today in the Mission Yearbook - Synod of the Coven...: The Rev. Dr. Cindy Halvorson works to get preachers to explore biblical stories through the eyes of multiple participants April 11, 2024 Pho...

Looking into the lectionary - The ecumenical future of camps and conferences

April 14, 2024 Third Sunday of Easter Luke 24:36-48 “You guys, it’s really me! I’m not a ghost, I promise!” says Jesus, after walking through a wall or somehow otherwise miraculously appearing before his disciples. Of course, they are startled and terrified. Corporeal beings are not known for entering rooms without using the door — nor for rising from the dead, for that matter. But Jesus is eager to show the eleven and their companions that he is present with them in his body. The gathered disciples have just heard from Cleopas and his fellow traveler how Jesus appeared to them on the road to Emmaus. Then suddenly Jesus himself is there, right in front of them. They think he must be a ghost, but Jesus quickly dispels their fears. He shows them his hands and feet. He encourages them to touch him, to see and feel his flesh and bones. And then, in case they are still unconvinced, he asks for something to eat. Ghosts don’t need dinner. It really is Jesus! He is risen. His body is not quite his old body, but it is still a real body, one that they can touch. He can share a meal with them, as he has countless times before. The disciples have a mixed reaction to all of this. Jesus asks them for something to eat “while in their joy, they were disbelieving and still wondering.” The disciples take joy in Christ’s presence, in recognizing that their Lord is risen and with them in body. I imagine they felt a sense of surprise and excitement while also feeling comforted; Jesus was back at the center of their fellowship. But Luke tells us that their joy is mingled with disbelief and wonderment. They do not yet understand how it could be that their Lord is risen from the dead. And they do not yet understand what this means for their lives. They would not be returning to the way things were during Jesus’ life. Instead, they were about to be commissioned by Jesus to witness his resurrection to all nations. 2,000 or so years later, on the third Sunday of Easter, we find ourselves with similarly mixed emotions. We are still calling and responding that the Lord is risen — he is risen indeed! We are still singing Easter hymns and giving thanks for the resurrection. We have Easter joy, but we are also disbelieving and still wondering. We have many questions about how Jesus could appear in a real body and eat real food, but mysteriously appear and disappear from the view of his disciples. We have doubts about Jesus’s resurrection and ascension — Did those things really happen? And if so, why is the world still such a mess? And we wonder what it means that we are called, along with the disciples, to proclaim the gospel of repentance and forgiveness. Our joy is mingled with doubts and questions. And in this time of great turmoil, death and destruction, war and famine, and division and fear, we long for a sign of the resurrection. We long for assurance that Jesus really is alive, working to make all things new. ... Read the rest of the commentary on the website. Thanks to this week's writer Ellen Williams Hensle. Order of worship for April 14, 2024. These liturgies are free to use. Thousands of churches will likely close down. What happens to all that real estate? by Bob Smietana Mutual interdependence (April 14, 2024) by Sheldon Sorge Figuring out Jesus — Weekly Christian ed lesson by Joelle Brummit-Yale Want the worship resources for April 7, 2024? You can find them here. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT... The ecumenical future of camps and conferences  Invitations to other denominations isn’t enough. Instead, Joel Winchip believes, finding the strengths – and weaknesses – we all see in our ministries can help us serve more people. Acting Stated Clerk joins 140 other Christian leaders calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and a halt of arms sales to Israel The Rev. Bronwen Boswell and others say ‘the killing must stop.’ A call to celebrate the Trans Day of Visibility on Easter Sunday When we embrace our trans siblings, the mystery of Easter bursts into our lives, writes Shea Watts. Building trust ‘for the sake of the Gospel’ Nassau Presbyterian Church and Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church work to build trust that has been missing since 1840. — John Bolt Utah’s Presbyterian churches prepare to welcome attendees to the 226th General Assembly From gun control to poverty, churches address the needs of their communities. — Rick Jones & Randy Hobson The cross isn’t just about our guilt and shame Do you know the cross can be interpreted through multiple lenses? If you find that Jesus’ crucifixion feels unapproachable, you may want to try a new perspective, writes Elana Keppel Levy. Reflecting on Jesus’ last words and unspoken truths What are we supposed to do about climate change? Reproductive rights? Gun violence? Jesus addresses none of these pressing issues in his last words to the disciples, but that doesn't mean we're left to find solutions on our own, writes Ron Byers.